Let’s be honest. We’ve all seen The Devil Wears Prada, and we’ve all wondered whether that’s really what it’s like to work at a fashion magazine. Is it all magnificent fashion closets filled to the brim with Chanel and Dior? Do they really drink that much Starbucks? And we’ve all wondered if Miranda Priestly truly embodies the magazine’s editor in chief. Well, I met up with the editor in chief of Madison’s very own student-run fashion magazine to see if that’s all true.
Name: Chloe Karaskiewicz
Role: Editor in Chief, MODA magazine
CollegeFashionista: How did you get involved with fashion on campus?
Chloe Karaskiewicz: I found MODA my freshman year at the student organization fair. I started by going to meetings as a writer. Then, we only had ten contributing writers and three editors. I wrote about everything at first, and then it became more fashion specific. When I went abroad I wrote a travel column, which was more cultural and about living abroad. My junior year I became editor in chief and I am again this year. I am going to miss it when I graduate. It’s a creative outlet for me right now. I feel like I’m abandoning my baby!
CF: Do you have any advice for students wanting to break their way into the fashion industry?
CK: I think you have to sample things before you find out what you want to do. Take a design class or take an art class your freshmen or sophomore year. If you’re in to trend reporting, [or] if you’re in to street style, there are a number of online magazines that are better for that. MODA does some of that, but we primarily do more in-depth pieces, analysis of the industry and tracking trends over time. It doesn’t have to be what you decide to do. It can be something you decide to do just for fun, which is what it ended up being for me. I find it incredibly rewarding.
CF: How would you describe your personal style?
CK: I wear a lot of classic pieces, and I’m not very big on trends. I like simple, stylish and well-cut pieces. I draw inspiration from street style and style bloggers, but I like to put a classic twist on it. It’s become more about the really special pieces I own, like the pieces that have been passed down in my family. I’m trying to make the transition to higher end investment pieces.
CF: What are your must-have items for spring 2015?
CK: This spring I definitely want to find a classic, double-breasted camel trench coat. I’ve been eyeing one from Calvin Klein. I also would love to find a pair of Chelsea rain boots. I can’t decide between classic black or silver glitter. I know I would wear black every day, but glitter is so fun! I need to find a pair of closed-toed espadrille wedges. I will definitely be wearing them to graduation in May.
Learn More: While you wait for MODA‘s spring issue to come out, head over to their website to see what they’re working on now.
